It is no secret that the US and Europe, combined, spend more than $250 billion (8.1 trillion baht) of public funds annually on R&D to maintain their leading positions. Likewise, a key driver of rapid development in countries like Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea has been their strategic decision to shift public expenditure away from hard infrastructure and toward the "soft" infrastructure needed to build and sustain a knowledge economy. The British government also spends markedly more of its budget on such intangibles than on tangibles assets. Most of today's transformative companies are known for their innovative corporate culture and working environments that inspires and empowers employees. Governments that set example for innovation have the power to implant a nationwide culture of creativity. When such a culture takes root, people feel inspired to run further with their ambitions, and to pursue bigger dreams. That is how countries that spur innovation take the lead-and stay there.